Lisbon waterfront renovated ahead of tourism surge

Lisbon Tourism Association (ATL) recently inaugurated the renovation of waterfront next to the iconic Praça do Comércio in Lisbon.

The waterfront is on river Tagus, the longest river on the Ibernian Peninsula, which is the habitat of over 100,000 birds.

A walk along the waterfront is a must-see for anyone visiting Lisbon and is home to an aquarium, outdoor cafes, and some of Lisbon’s most famed tourist attractions.

Portugal is experiencing a surge of tourism after it opened its borders on Monday to UK tourists and Portugal is on the UK's green list for unrestricted travel.

The unrestricted travel has seen British tourists descend on Portugal in recent days, enjoying the beaches and attractions.

The Lisbon waterfront is one if many but offers 20km of promenades, landscaped areas and bike paths, as well as the park ‘Parque Do Tejo’, cable car and a marina.

The company Lindley was selected for this renovation project, the supply of the new nautical infrastructure at Praça do Comércio, one of the most emblematic locations on the Lisbon waterfront.

Previously the location of the Kings palace, the area was rebuilt following the 1755 earthquake under the reconstruction plan laid out by the Marquês de Pombal who designed one of Lisbon’s most emblematic landmarks, Terreiro do Paço also named Praça do Comércio.

ATL said it has not allowed the Covid pandemic to alter its plans to improve the infrastructure of the Lisbon waterfront.

The main objective of the 2021 investment project was to rehabilitate the waterfront at city centre, focused on the city's relationship with the river, creating safe and easy access piers for tour boats whilst maintaining the aesthetics and charm of Lisbon’s historic riverside.

The first project located in front of Praça do Comércio is a 30m long landing pier for tourist boats, built using 6m wide concrete pontoon with timber deck accessed by a 20m long steel gangway moored on reinforced 20m radius arms.

The second project, few hundred meters upriver is at Doca da Marinha, a former navy basin now converted into a small harbour for tourist boats including a berthing area.

This project involved the supply of concrete floating wave attenuators to ensure proper protection of the basin and the supply of steel pontoons moored on piles. The project will allow visitors to enjoy trips on the river, since the Doca da Marinha will receive the typical boats of the Tejo River. Both projects were equipped with light, electricity, and water pedestals as well as the required safety equipment.